


What is the line?

by Eteerih



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fix-It, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, can be read as either platonic or romantic, what shouldve been........
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 16:44:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18898618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eteerih/pseuds/Eteerih
Summary: Bucky supposed this was a poetic end for them, mirroring the lines they said to each other once before. That was over 70 years ago now. It was Steve’s turn to take all the stupid with him. Bucky breathed in.He wondered what line Steve always went on about in the space of the five seconds it took for Steve to return the stones. He forced a satisfied smile, like in movies, and turned away in the seconds after the first five as Banner and Sam started freaking out. Yes, I was ready for this. Yes, this is right. Yes, this is fine.He heard a cough. And another. A small fit.





	What is the line?

**Author's Note:**

> I finally broke and wrote my own fixit. god i wish they went with little steve. it wouldve been so good. instead they did....that.

Bucky supposed this was a poetic end for them, mirroring the lines they said to each other once before. That was over 70 years ago now. It was Steve’s turn to take all the stupid with him. Bucky breathed in.

The nature here was serene. He understood why Stark would choose such a place to get away from whatever had been left of this world at that time. The air was fresh. The quiet sound of the lake’s waves soothed his confused body.

He wondered what line Steve always went on about in the space of the five seconds it took for Steve to return the stones. He forced a satisfied smile, like in movies, and turned away in the seconds after the first five as Banner and Sam started freaking out. _Yes, I was ready for this. Yes, this is right. Yes, this is fine._

Bucky did not like this feeling the rational and logical part of his brain recognized as vague bitterness. He did not like the anxiety in his stomach. He did not like the loneliness in his chest.

 

* * *

 

He heard a cough. And another. A small fit. It was quiet, but loud enough that even Sam and Bruce picked up on it. Bucky stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. The lake was sparkling in the sunlight. And there, on the shore where there was a little bench, sat a figure, small and hunched over.

Bruce’s sigh was full of relief, and with it was gone Sam’s tension—almost.

Bucky was wary. Sam walked towards the figure, but stopped ways from him. He scratched his head, then looked back to Bucky. His look was trying to tell Bucky something, but the man was confused enough on his own that Bucky read nothing from him.

Bucky took a deep breath in. He was ready for never seeing Steve again, never being understood by anyone ever again, so this could’ve only gotten better.

A step. The grass crunched under his feet softly. Another step. A bird chirped in the trees. One more step and he was next to the bench, and...

He took a good, good look.

"Steve?" he muttered.

Steve looked up at him. He smiled and waved. "Hey."

Bucky stared at him. This scrawny man. This bastard. Oh, how he loved this little man known as Steve.

"You punk!" Bucky called out. He wanted to punch Steve in the shoulder, or maybe in the face for the traces of anxiety still lingering in his stomach, but the man would probably crumble in front of him.

Because despite nearly a century, Bucky never forgot Steve, not Captain America, was "fragile, handle with care".

A huge weight was lifted from Bucky. It was odd, since he was so ready for it. Now he felt...weird. Was this real? Maybe he was still dust. Maybe Steve never went to return the stones and Bucky’s gonna wake up. Maybe he did and lived a life with Carter. Maybe Captain America was a dream.

Because, come on, it was _Steve_ , the original. How was that even possible?

"I owed a dance to someone," Steve said, a certain serenity in the lines of his face. „Sorry I was late."

This was real, huh. Everything went kind of quiet, sounds in the distance.

"Dude!" Bucky heard Sam call out. "What the hell? Steve? Is that you? You’re like an ant, man."

"I think that’s Lang’s territory," Steve replied. Sam barked a harsh laugh, but then went quiet.

"Is that...?"

Bucky blinked back to reality, then noticed the round leather case next to Steve. He remembers the broken shield on the battlefield, held by the unwavering Steve. The short look of relief he had allowed himself as everyone stepped through the portals.

"Yeah." Steve picked up the case. He grunted quietly. He took out, with some struggle, his shield, fully intact, and looked at Sam. "This is yours now."

Sam stared between little Steve and the shield. "Cap..."

"Please, Sam." Steve was smiling. "I’m no longer Captain America. Also, this thing is really heavy, so just take it already."

Sam laughed. His voice cracked, but he laughed and took the shield, put it on his arm. It fit him.

"How does it feel?"

"Like someone else’s."

Well, it wasn’t, Bucky thought.

"Well, it’s not," Steve said.

Bucky noticed now that despite Steve being back to his original body, his voice had stayed the same. Deep, full of his determination, befitting to Captain America as a symbol. Though it had never changed much in the first place, if Bucky’s memory didn’t failed him. It had a tendency to fail him a lot, though. Like on the helicarrier, punching Steve’s face and getting punched himself.

There was that line again.

"Buck?" Steve asked. The warmth in his voice was gone now. It made Bucky’s insides do a little twirl, as if something was wrong. This was all still quite surreal to Bucky.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Bucky blinked and looked at Steve properly. The man’s eyebrow was raised, lips in a frown. His face was less full than it had been about three minutes ago, his hair and skin a little paler. He was Steve.

Bucky sighed. It was a big sigh, taking in all of his confusion, then trying to breathe it out.

"Oh," Steve mouthed. "You thought this was the end of the line?"

Steve put it into words. That momentary loneliness mixed with a dose of bitterness must’ve been Bucky imagining himself behind that line, while Steve had crossed it.

Steve looked over the lake. He was not smiling, he was not frowning. Bucky followed his gaze. He thought of what to say.

"Well...yeah, I guess it was."

Bucky was tired. Well—its not as if he hadn’t done things to deserve punishment. That did not mean he had to like dealing with emotions he was still trying to fully recover.

"For Captain America, that is."

Bucky stayed still. His metal arm felt heavy. He thought of himself and Steve. A new height difference was between them. They’ve both changed so much. Bucky from all the HYDRA bullshit, Steve from...well, a lot of things, adding this to the list. All the years they hadn’t been properly been able to catch up on.

Steve stood up, hands in the pockets of an oversized out-of-fashion (even for Bucky’s standards) coat, a confident smile on his face.

"But not for us."

Bucky was relieved. So relieved.

And he laughed, his real arm falling onto little Steve’s shoulder with a thump.

"You really are a punk, you know that?"

"You said I was taking the stupid with me yourself," Steve nudged him back.

 

* * *

 

They were taking the short walk back to everyone’s temporary residence. The four of them formed a comical group: big Hulk-Bruce, pretty big superhuman Bucky, trained airforce Sam, and tiny Steve with enough health issues to have his survival in the 40’s be a miracle on it’s own.

"So, what now?" Sam asks. Steve shrugs.

"I’m not sure. I guess I could keep you company, maybe give you some tips and tricks with that thing." He chuckled. "But I don’t know. I’ve been stressing out for...well, probably my entire life so far, so some rest would be nice."

Everyone nodded. Bucky, whose head felt clearer than it had been for over half a century, thought the same. Maybe he’d chat with T’challa and Shuri again.

"Hey, Buck," Steve starts, "didn’t you stay in Wakanda? It seems like a nice place. Maybe T’challa will let me take a short vacation there."

Bucky smiled. It was a nice thought. He did kind of miss the kids, too. Shuri, who often visited, was fun company as well and helped him catch up with the phenomenon known as 'pop culture' and whatever else, while tinkering with his arm. With Steve it would be even better.

"Sounds good to me."

 

* * *

 

"We’re back!" Sam called to the house. It seemed everyone had already waken up. Bruce, Sam, Steve and Bucky had eaten breakfast first. Pepper joining them, as they wanted to get things over with before midday. By now everyone else had awoken as well. Bucky still did not know how to feel about staying at what was basically Stark’s residence. Pepper didn’t seem to mind, so Bucky didn’t say anything.

First entered Sam, already catching everyone’s attention, then Bruce, who crouched through the doorway, then Bucky. Sprawled on various couches and armchairs were everyone who had yet to leave: Barton, Maximoff, Lang and his own daughter, T’challa and Shuri, the spiderkid, Peter, who was letting Stark’s daughter sit on his lap with his aunt and Pepper next to him. Fury was also standing in the corner, sipping coffee and looking relaxed for the first time in his life. Clint gave them a wave, but his hand stopped dead in the air as Steve entered.

In fact, it was like time was stopped. Everyone stared, faces blank.

"Well," Steve whispered next to Bucky. "Hey everyone," he tried.

"Whoa," muttered Peter. "It’s Cap without all the...Cap! I’ve seen a pic of you in a museum!"

"I think you’d fit in the quantum realm," Scott joked.

Bucky snorted.

"I think he’s shorter than me," Wanda muttered.

"Hey now..."

Fury gaped. "Oh, come on, Rogers! You should’ve given in a resignation first."

"Aww, he’s cute," Pepper said.

Bucky kept on grinning. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked Steve.

Steve laughed and nodded. "So, everyone, I guess Captain America is officially retired. I hope Steve Rogers will do."

Despite the shock, no one seemed to mind. Even Fury was alright with it, because who would object a 100 year old’s, who had been fighting for nearly all of that 100 years, wish for some rest.

Steve was not done yet, though.

"Well...this Captain America, anyway." He nudged towards Sam.

 

* * *

 

"So," Shuri approached Bucky after the commotion had died down and he was enjoying his second cup of tea, "are you going to start a domestic life with the tiny Captain now?"

Bucky raised a big, big eyebrow at the girl, who was grinning smugly.

"Oh, come on! You both look like you need some rest after all of that."

"I think we all do," he replied.

Shuri crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "Well, you two especially. Your place is still your’s in Wakanda if you want it. It’s opened to the Captain as well. Right, brother?"

T’challa nodded. He looked pleased. "Our doors are open to both the White Wolf and the little Captain. And as Shuri said, it is still your’s."

"The kids are starting to miss you letting them sit on your arms. You can add Steve to that list too, now." Shuri laughed.

Steve approached them.

"Oh my god," Shuri murmured in realization. "Steve Rogers is as tall as I am. _Steve Rogers_!"

"I apologise for her behaviour," T’challa sighed.

Steve just laughed it off. "So...about that Wakanda trip..."

 

* * *

 

The day, though uneventful, seemed eventful. Everyone was mostly fussing over Steve or Sam with the shield. Things had finally quieted down. Bucky was sitting on the same bench they found Steve on in the morning. The sun was setting over the lake.

Steve sat next to him.

They were quiet, just enjoying the nature and each other’s company.

"A lot has happened, huh," Steve murmured. Bucky nodded.

"A lot more for you," he said quietly. While to Bucky there was no five years, just the Wakandan forest and an unknown battlefield, there was a hollow gap in Steve’s and everyone else’s, who survived, hearts. The scars will forever remain on history.

But at least they don’t have to cope alone anymore. Neither did Bucky. He now had aquaintances. Friends, even. And Steve. It...was good. He’d go to Wakanda. Steve seems like he wants to come with, so. They’ll have a good time with the kids and the royal family. What comes in the future—they have time to think about that.

"Did you really think I was gone?" Steve asked suddenly.

Bucky shrugged.

"Maybe."

His eyes followed the sky, where the sunset’s orange blended with the night’s blue.

"I spent so long searching for you," Steve muttered. "I’ve lost you more times than I want to admit. I saw you turn into _dust_. I grieved for you, and everyone else, too, for five years. I wasn’t just going to throw all I’ve gained here, all of you, away after getting you back."

Bucky let the words sink in. Sink into his head, his body, into the sky and Steve himself. Then he cracked a smile.

"Well, you did kind of lose the Captain America style."

Steve punched him in the shoulder. It was a weak punch, but so warm.

"Do you regret it?" Bucky asked.

Steve was silent. He was looking at the sky, too. More at the sun, though.

"I don’t think I do. But who knows. Bruce is right, it really is a miracle that I survived in the 40’s."

They shared a good laugh, together.

 

* * *

 

Behind the trees on a manmade road covered with sawdust stood a certain redhead, arms crossed and looking pleased.

"He looks like a twink," she grinned, "just like in the pictures. But I'm happy for him."

Fury looked towards the direction where the pair was. Then back to her. "Well, I do hope that _you_ intend to stay, Romanoff."

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like...2-3h out of mostly impulse and rush inspiration. ive been thinking about how great it would've been to have a small Steve be with (tall) superhuman Bucky!  
> this fic wasn't very "shippy" in that sense, so sorry if you came looking for that, but...you know! I love them! and they deserved so much better writing!
> 
> this is my first time writing Marvel characters so I hope i did an okay enough job, hahaha...


End file.
